


Twelfth Night

by Get_below_my_line_of_vision



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Twelfth Night - Shakespeare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Twins, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:34:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24079072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Get_below_my_line_of_vision/pseuds/Get_below_my_line_of_vision
Summary: Nines and Connor, identical twins, have been shipwrecked. Believing each other to be dead, they try to hide from their enemy land by not revealing their identity.+ Nines pretends to be Connor as he wants to be likeable.Basically the Twelfth night AU but with insecurities.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 8
Kudos: 37
Collections: Inspired by an existing story





	1. Nines

Nines was the oldest of the twins and was quiet and kept to himself. While his brother was exactly the opposite. Seeing the two was like watching one man staring into a mirror. They were both so alike yet so distinctively different.  
At face value it looked like they loved one another, as much as any sibling could. Their balance was perfect.

But one thing was clear. Connor was the favourite. Everyone adored him and he stole their attention in excellent successions. Nines happened to be beside him. No one noticed him and whenever he was mentioned it was done so in order to introduce Connor to their conversation.  
As would anyone do, Nines quickly became tired of this behaviour. Unfortunately there was nothing he could do.

Until when he woke up with his servant Simon crying. Josh and Chloe, his other two loyal servants were arguing- they were in enemy territory. When Nines watched Simon, he could feel his heartbreak. He didn’t know they cared about him so much. Naturally he smiled.

“He’s alive, Simon!” Josh cried as he knelt beside Nines.  
“Yes, I am.”  
Simon immediately hugged him. “I thought we lost you, Connor.”  
It was the first time he was hugged apart from his brother so he hugged him back before realising he was called by the wrong name. Then it hit him. They were caring towards him since they thought he was the wrong brother. However he could not let go of Simon. He was warm… This was what Connor felt everyday.  
“We can’t find your brother,” Chloe mumbled as she looked up and gasped, “Quick! They’re coming! We have to hide.”  
When Nines turned around he saw patrollers, so he obeyed her and ran with his three servants, away from the beach.

As Nine’s breathing calmed down he realised his brother must have died in the shipwreck. And he saw his servants watch the enemies tentatively. It was the same look they gave whenever they talked to him. Nines knew what he had to do. He had to be Connor in order to survive otherwise they would abandon him.

This was the first time he thanked his jealousy for he knew exactly how his brother behaved. With the library of knowledge Nines believed he could imitate his brother.  
He had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter is short, but it will fatten.


	2. Nines

As a highborn it felt… unusual to act as a servant to another man, but it had to be done. He worked under a rich, spoiled man named Gavin Reed. When they met Nines played the piano for him as he complained about his love for a woman he did not care about. Constantly whenever he opened his mouth it was about the woman yet none of her personality traits were mentioned, just her beauty.  
Nines rolled his eyes as he continued playing.  
Reed dictated how he should play the music as he wanted the notes to follow his heart. “Play it slower.” He said as he swayed.  
Nines obeyed, gritting his teeth. Although whenever his eyes met his he would smile gently, just like how Connor would.  
And whenever their eyes met Reed would pause for whatever reason.

After their first interaction Reed searched for him and asked for his name. Caught off guard, Nines almost revealed his real identity. Fortunately he managed to call himself Connor and Reed made him his personal servant. He should’ve declined but Reed spoke as if it was a statement, not an offer. The job would also mean higher pay, so Nines just nodded along.

For his first act Gavin sent him a letter to be read by his lover, North, who lived not far away. As he talked about her, his facial expression shifted into being softer and his eyes almost sparkled as he deliriously smiled.  
Nines liked him when he was in love. Literally any other time, he didn’t like him as he wasn’t passionate in anything else that came out of his mouth. But when he was talking about North, his eyes reflected the light, and his cheeks would become the most ridiculous pink he had ever seen. That was the reason why Nines couldn’t stop himself from reflecting his smile when this first task was given to him.

So, Nines set off to deliver the letter. Feeling like a bridge between two rich people and that he was being stepped on, he thought maybe he should treat his servants nicer. Then he remembered how they always treated Connor, and he clicked his tongue in anger. They never have treated him with respect unless Connor was beside him. Naturally he passed all the blame to his servants’ behaviour.

When he arrived at North's home, he demanded he should enter, just to be denied. As Nines, he wanted to shout until he got the job done, but as Connor he knew that wasn’t going to be the appropriate action. Instead he rambled on about how important love was, imagining Reed was beside him; because Nines needed some romantic to pretend to be, not because he aimed his words towards the spoiled man.

Moved by his words, a door opened to reveal a room blocked from all light. It was, he assumed, North.  
Like Reed, she was stubborn and didn’t want to admit she overheard him and rather invited him in out of randomness. Nines sighed, believing Reed was attracted to this woman because he was attracted to himself.

North was wearing all black but Nines didn’t question why.  
He cleared his throat as he entered her room. “I have a letter.”  
“Oh, you do?” She sat down.  
“Ye-yes,” Nines couldn’t deny this woman was beautiful. Only if her personality was as appealing. So far she was acting like she didn’t care about anything that was happening, even refusing to look at him in the eyes. “It’s from Gavin Reed-”  
North gave out an exaggerated sigh which made Nines smile subconsciously; it was something about the spoiled, rich man not getting what he desired gave him joy.  
When she looked up, Nines was quick to change his malicious looking smile to something more Connor-like. She shrugged, “I like your voice: I certainly won’t read the letter, but I will listen to it.

Up to this point Nines didn’t read what the letter said, because of course that would have been rude, even if he didn’t like the man. But since North wasn’t willing to accept the letter, Nines had no choice. He cleared his throat as he opened up the letter, trying not to rip it open as he usually did.  
Inside, the letter written was a poorly composed poem with terrible handwriting. Nines narrowed his eyes, confused whether the letter began with “Dear”, “Dean”, or “Dame,”. He cocked his head, supposing he had to read in another angle.  
“What does it say?” North prompted, pretending not to be interested.  
Nines cleared his throat once more, sweating. Repeatedly he thought ‘what would Connor say’.

Confidently he put the letter back into his pocket and claimed, “The love is so strong it couldn’t be contained in just words; I feel it. I feel it in the air, it surrounds us, inevitable. You will breathe in the love, be dependent on it, just like how it is dependent on you. Together, you become each others’ saviours.” At this point Nines didn’t know if what he was saying held any significance, nevertheless meaning, but North was leaning in, intrigued, so Nines continued, “Emotions are surely complex; it cannot be written down in mere papers. It has to be expressed. ‘I love you!’ Reed shouts from the highest mountain top, awaiting your call. ‘I love you, North!’ he claims.” To exaggerate his point Nines did shout his best.  
North giggled and stood up to place her hand over his arm, “Hush, you don’t need to shout.”  
Nines pressed his hands against his chest; he was caught up in the moment, seeing this situation as a chance to mock Gavin, “Oh, but my Lady, what is the point of confession if all your heart is not poured?”  
She exhaled, “Fine. I acknowledge his intention, and admire his motivation. Tell him, however, I do not accept.”  
Nines’ face dropped. He didn’t know why- he didn’t care about Gavin anyway…  
Noticing his reaction, North laborated, “But tell me what he says. I want to hear it from you…?”  
Nines hesitated, “Connor.”  
“Connor.” She echoed, enjoying every letter of his name, “Deliver my message and come back.”

Clouded by thoughts of what Reed’s reaction would be to her rejection, he didn’t register North’s obvious interest in him. He quickly nodded and exited the room to the garden, thereby exposing the room to the bright sunlight from the outside.

As Nines was returning, the letter in his pocket began to weigh heavier and heavier. In frustration, he went to the beach he shipwrecked in and watched the letter melt by the water.  
When he lifted his head he expected to find his brother. Alas, Connor was still lost as sea. Nines twitched, imagining his brother’s cold eyes.  
Instead, he watched two fishermen from far into the sea. It was a peaceful day.

When Nines returned, he was greeted with an excited Gavin, which was odd. But for some reason his heart dropped when Gavin addressed him as ‘Connor’. He didn’t know why that hurt. Rather, it should’ve made him feel safer, knowing he was succeeding in hiding his identity.  
“What did she say?”  
Nines held his breath. “She wasn’t impressed.”  
Reed genuinely sighed.  
“How many times… Have you sent a letter to her?”  
Reed waved his hand, “Not too many times.”  
Instantly Nines knew it was too many times. He couldn’t help but laugh. Not in the type of laughter a child would make seeing another child trip over in the playground, but more of a real one. Like a bubble emerging from the dark sea to meet with the air above, experiencing freedom at the same time its formation breaks. That was how Nines had felt. Showing his real laughter, and true behaviour was a dangerous move. Afterall, it was only Connor who gained success. Nines couldn’t reveal his identity.  
Nines cleared his throat to erase his laughter. He watched Gavin turn away, rambling on about how he was going to win her heart once more. Nines sighed, believing he avoided Gavin being suspicious of him.

In reality, Gavin turned to hide his face. It wasn’t of suspicion, no, he scrunched his face in confusion. This man, this servant, at times would behave like a distinctively different person. Sure, both laughed, both personas put their hands behind their back, both bowed’ but there were two mannerisms to all those actions. Just then, Gavin saw someone who was not ‘Connor’.  
But he disregarded his observation, believing himself to be falling into insanity thinking such a ludicrous concept. How could one man posses two different personalities?


	3. Connor

It was dark. It had been for what felt like an hour but evidently longer when he opened his eyes. He had no clothes either, however a blanket, thankfully, coated him. It was disorienting. He had no idea what he was looking at. Light acted like an alien to his eyes and stung him.  
The dark circle in front of him took shape to reveal an oily grey haired man. The man looked gloomy- neutral. At that moment Connor couldn’t evaluate the man’s intentions; if he was going to aid him or rob him.  
“Who...?” Connor called out, sweating. Energy seeped out so easily that even moving his head was deemed tiring.  
The man’s lip lifted ever so slightly and he immediately walked away from him, rubbing his mouth until he shouted, “Markus, come. The boy is awake.”  
Despite how the man acted, Connor knew what he saw. The man was happy he was conscious. From just a fragment of a second he ignored the rest of ambiguous hints that would’ve pointed to the man having malintentions. 

Connor realised he must have ended up in someone’s home and some kind family was taking care of him. He sighed and blamed himself for thinking so negatively before, even if it were for a couple of seconds. To compensate he promised himself he was going to be very grateful. He sat up, although he could manage this only by shuffling as moving too much caused him pain. He gritted his teeth. He imagined his back to be infected with purple dots; bruised badly; at least that was how it felt like.

A younger man hastily walked towards him. If Connor had to describe his face, it wouldn’t be of physical descriptions. The man was one of the types of people where his emotions were very clear on his face. There was worry and care which were plainly visible in his expression as he sat on the bed next to him. “Are you okay?”  
“Yes.” He tried to give his best smile since he didn’t like to see anyone bothered by him, “I am perfectly-” He grunted as his back ached, “Fine…”  
Markus laughed kindly, thinking Connor was just joking around. He cocked his head slightly and put his hand on his shoulder gently. “I’m just going to check something. This might hurt- well, it will hurt.” Then he forcibly inspected Connor’s back and chest to make sure nothing severe spread or whatnot.  
Connor wasn’t really a doctor so he didn’t know what the man was doing, but was genuinely surprised at how little bruises he had on his chest in which this realisation acted like a medication as much of his pain dissipated away.  
“You seem alright.” He concluded.

“Alright,” he muttered, “Great. That means I can leave, right?”  
“Um- I don’t think-”  
Feeling guilty he spent too much time already, Connor got onto his two feet but failed to even take a step. As he fell, he was caught by the older man who rushed to his aid, somehow being faster than his other carer. Honestly Connor didn’t even notice he was in the room and felt embarrassed he only focused on the younger man.  
“I didn’t think that was a good idea.” The younger man lightly chuckled as he helped Connor get back to bed. It didn’t just stop there, he showed more compassion by wrapping him cosily with a blanket.

Connor blinked, staring at his kind host, “What is your name?”  
“Markus.” He smiled.  
The man behind him sat down and dropped his feet onto the table, balancing on his chair. “Markus, Don’t you find it suspicious he was just floating in the sea.”  
“Well, yes,” Markus agreed, but nodded as an encouragement to Connor, “But he doesn't need to say right away. We heard about the shipwreck, Hank. He must’ve been a victim. That’s traumatic… stuff. He doesn’t need to be reminded of that type of… thing.”  
“Thank you.” Connor whispered.

Hank walked confidently over to Markus. “Listen to his accent, Markus. He’s from the enemy lands.”  
“What are you suggesting?” Markus seemed to be easily swayed by him.  
Defensively, Connor protested, “I swear, I don’t-”  
Hank covered his mouth, tired of listening to him with the mug he was holding. Confused, he held the mug, weirdly succeeding in quietening him down.  
“I’m saying we can’t have him be exposed. The authorities would connect him to us. You don’t want to go to jail, do you?”  
The last part of his dialogue struck something in Markus and he stiffened. He whispered, “No.”  
Hank nodded, “He has to stay here for awhile then, no?”  
“Yes.” Markus repeated.

Connor watched the two, not knowing if he should’ve interrupted. Recognising the conversation was more or less over, he lifted Hank’s mug to try and give it back to him but the old man just walked away, leaving Markus and Connor alone.

In the mug, there was coffee, up to the top; it hadn’t been drunk.  
Markus sighed as he sat back down on the bed. He glanced at Connor and gave a quick smile. Connor lifted the mug as a silent ‘cheers’ and sipped. It tasted nice.

“I know he seems… rude sometimes, but he’s a nice guy.” Markus rubbed the nape of his neck.  
This moment brought him back to his old life. Connor was always surrounded by people because he understood social cues. He understood if anyone had some sort of a burden they wanted to be relieved of. That was why he supposed many people orbited around him. So, naturally he picked up on Markus’ cue and prompted, “What’s your relationship with him?”  
Markus looked at him confused.  
Connor sipped his coffee before elaborating, “You don’t look like father and son.” He pointed at his own face alluding to the difference in skin colour.  
Markus lightly chuckled, again his face showing compassion. Connor couldn’t help but smile back.  
“This town… Actually, this country… Doesn’t handle those who were born like me well.” He shrugged as if discrimination was a phase the citizens went through. “But Hank didn’t treat me differently. He was very open with me and helped me. I have a place to live, a place to work, and a place to be safe because of him.” There was no trace of pain in his grin; it was genuinely out of pure gratefulness.  
Although they had just met Connor felt admiration for this man.

When Markus left, promising to bring food. Through the opened door, Conor saw Hank already preparing it. In less than a second, any doubts Connor had flew away. They were trusting in their genes. There was hardly anyone Connor met who was immediately amiable. It was usually a challenge for him, gaining someone’s trust. But this time, there was no barrier, no game to play. The two were perfect in their own ways. This time, Connor didn’t have to think optimistically, things really did pan out okay for him.  
Connor sipped his coffee once more.

He stared at the wall in front of him. He was fortunate to be alive, he knew. He was floating in the sea, he remembered Hank explaining. He must have been alone, drifting.  
Alone… He hadn’t been in solitude for all the years he could remember. His brother was always besides him. Things wouldn’t be complete if it wasn’t for Nines. As twins, they shared everything. Now, he was ripped apart from him.

He closed his eyes, as he always did when his blood rushed rapidly. He focused on his situation currently. It was a miracle he was saved. ‘Let’s focus on that’, he told himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I really didn't know what Connor's personality was going to be. When I started writing I noticed in my notes I didn't specify his personality nor mental process of this scene.  
> I had to rewrite almost the entire chapter, so hopefully it was worth it.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	4. Nines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of survivor's guilt here.

The next morning was not amiable to Nines. However it was lucky he awoke earlier than Gavin. Although Nines acknowledged usually everybody awoke before Gavin did.  
The morning began with Josh murmuring to Nines that a ‘guest’ was at the door. This information made his stomach sink. His heart pounded madly as he ran to the door.  
There was one person he wanted to see. He had been plagued with jealousy and misery, all tied with Connor, but at the same time believed his brother would be able to soften his pain.

However when the door was hastily opened, Nines’ face almost collided with a woman’s. Immediately, Nines apologised, holding the woman’s hand.  
He swore to himself; how could he be so unreasonable and irrational?

He looked down at the hand he was holding. It wasn’t on purpose- it wasn’t even something Nines would’ve done. It was Connor’s hand he saw holding the woman’s hand.  
Nins began to breathe shakily as he followed her arm, to her shoulders, to her face. It was North.  
Nines swore again as he sighed.

“Connor!” She blushed, surprised. “You didn’t visit me again… Not to bother you, of course.” She removed her hand from his and patted down her hair as if she was messy.  
Nines quickly shut the door behind him and grabbed her by her arm and led her away from the premises. He couldn’t imagine what Gavin’s reaction would be.  
“Connor,” She yanked her arm back.  
Then Nines snapped out of his thoughts. He had been pulling her forcibly. He knew he had to apologise, but a flame breathed in his chest. He was mad. Breathing quicker, he stared into North’s eyes, trying to understand why she would come to Gavin’s home despite having rejected him.  
“Connor,” She cleared her throat, “Sorry, that was unlady-like to shout at you like that.”  
Nines knew he had to speak but his lips were stuck together. The simple task of taking the blame proved to make his chest sore.  
“I just wanted to talk to you.” She twirled a loose strand of hair in her finger shyly.

Finally, it dawned on Nines that he made a mistake which put his other past mistakes to shame. The lady who was supposed to fall in love with Gavin had taken interest in him instead. Adding this revelation to his already fuelled anger in which he did not know the reason to, Nines shouted, “You’re supposed to love Gavin!”  
North held her breath, frozen for a second. “Why…” Her voice faded.

Seeing an innocent woman become saddened reminded Nines of his presence in his rich home. In the comfort of money and gold he prevented those around him to be jolly. He was a perfect pair to Connor because he was the complete opposite. He wasn’t cool, he was hot-headed. Connor was thoughtful, Nines ignored what really made him mad. Connor was caring, Nines… He truly believed he was unempathetic.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Nines calmly spoke, guiding North gently with his hand on her back, out of the premises. “Gavin is… important to me. The idea of disappointing him hurts.” As Nines was saying this, he was surprised by his own words.  
“I see…” North held her hand against her chest, a sign of sympathy.  
Nines couldn’t look away from her. It was the same move Connor did when hearing a tragic story. Nines breathed in, reminding himself he couldn’t be Nins. He had to be Connor; he couldn’t drive North away. By being himself he could easily chase her away. “I hope… You can see how Gavin feels about you.”  
North smiled, understanding the sincerity in his voice. However she was also able to understand his tonal shift: she grabbed his arm elegantly. “Connor, are you really alright?”  
If he was truly Connor, he would’ve explained the situation. He had lost his brother at sea and wasn’t given any time to grieve. That was why he was furious. That was why his heart was being squeezed and his lungs shrivelled. It wasn’t North he was angry at. It was himself. He was irritated that it wasn’t Connor in his place. He would’ve handled the situation better. Instead, he was punished to pretend to be his dead brother.

Nines watched North carefully. She cared for him, but as she said, it wasn’t actually him she felt for. It was Connor. It had always been his brother who was loved. And the only time Nines was loved was when he was pretending to be his brother.

Muttering an excuse, Nines left Gavin’s premises too. Away from this situation. Away from everyone.

And where else were there to go but the beach?

The tide rolled in and touched his feet. Nines watched the waves overlap the other. It reminded him of his past. Nines was always the needy one; the attention-seeking child. Then it was Connor who took the attention. And he overlapped Nines, taking control.

Another wave travelled to the sand, but in his eyes, it was Connor. As the water stretched to him, a hand was reaching out for him. Nines watched the foam dissolve into the sand.  
He lifted his head and saw another wave take over, fighting with other waves, eventually the victor ending up in the sand just to disappear.

He watched the tiny bubbles pop from the foams. Hypnotised, Nines began to walk towards the water. He could see a floating ship- the ship they were on. It was immaculate undamaged, and it was sailing away from him. He was being abandoned. Well, this time he was going to fight back. He was going to return to his homeland.

There was no resistance from the water as he marched into the sea. “Connor!” He called out. 

“Connor?” He weakly repeated, tired this time.  
The waters began to consume his knees. He kept walking, interpreting the strenuous effort to have derived from his lack of dedication, not the fact that he was writing his death sentence.  
He faintly called out, reaching out for the ship that was becoming smaller and smaller, “Don’t leave me.” His voice was soft and weak as the waves grappled his thighs.

It shouldn’t have been him. It should’ve been his brother who survived. Nines damned himself for surviving. On top of his crimes, he also impersonated the one person who noticed him. The only person who was beside him. In response to his brother’s care, he only thought lowly of him. Why? Because others loved him more than him? How selfish…

The water rose to his stomach as he watched the ship leave. “Please!” He shouted.  
The winds blew hard in his face as drops of the rain began to fall. “Connor?” He called out, taking another step, deeper into the vast blue.

“Connor?” A panicked voice shouted far behind him.  
Shivers captured his whole body and Nines tried to rush further into the sea, afraid of who was behind him.  
“Connor?” The voice called out again, broken. “Connor!”

Before the sea could consume Nines whole, he was forcibly pulled away. “Connor, what are you doing?” The angry voice yelled.  
When he turned to see the man behind him, his muscles began to relax. As his panic dissolved, the rain became stronger. Nines held onto the man’s clothes, anchoring himself to the man, “Gavin?” He struggled to speak.  
The man stared at him, wide-eyed, full of shock and panic. Without a word, he pulled him to a tight embrace, locking each other. “Connor…” He breathlessly said. “Never do that again.”  
In tears Nines admitted, “I’ve failed. I’ve failed in everything. I couldn’t even get North to love you.”  
With the tension high, Gavin ignored Nines hurrying words, and dragged the exhausted man to the shore. 

When Gavin was certain Nines was unharmed, he sat next to him on the wet sand, grabbing his head in shock as he shook his head in disbelief.  
For a moment, Nines braced himself for the shouting, the insults, maybe a few punches. But they never happened.

Softly, or perhaps tiredly, Gavin spoke, “What’s wrong?”  
Nines lifted his head to see the exhausted man reach out for him. Gently, he grabbed his cheeks so there was nowhere to look but to him. Nines had been wrong. He perceived this caring man as a brat earlier on when in fact he was nothing like that. He wasn’t childish anymore, he wasn’t whiny anymore. “North--’  
“I don’t care about North,” He shook his head, “I care about you.”  
Nines was breathless. Not knowing why, he wanted to be closer to him. “I…” He touched Gavin’s hand, reminding himself there was someone who miraculously cared about him, “I don’t know who I am anymore.”  
Gavin was silent. Since the situation was foreign to him, he didn’t know the appropriate words to say. Instead, he crawled closer to Nines and uttered, “I know who you are.”  
Deep in his wide eyes, Nines could see the truth in them. But that observation was useless. He knew that Gavin didn’t care about him. To him, he was Connor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nines is angsty because he misplaced his frustration and anger onto North instead of himself. He's so insecure...
> 
> It feels super weird writing romance. I mean, I knew I had to do it sometime, but man is it strange. I'm still not used to it and I cannot explain why. But for now, watch these two oblivious oopsies fall in love.
> 
> Thank you for reading so far.


	5. Nines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Development between Nines and his servants :))

It took a while, but Gavin managed to guide Nines back to his home. Due to what had just happened, Gavin granted the day off. He ordered his servants, or his ‘friends’ as Gavin knew them as, to keep an eye on him. Although there were three of them, Gavin allowed all of them time off just so he could secure Nines’ safety. Finally, Nines was able to pick up on the possibility that Gavin liked him more than he thought and not just as a servant; as a friend.

Since Nines was still down, he didn’t want to explore the concept of Gavin and him developing their relationship. Instead, his focus was himself. This led to an almost limp shell of a person sitting on his bed as his servants paced around, panicking for Connor’s mental well-being. Josh, Chloe, and Simon were arguing amongst themselves, their words intertwining to create a twisted monster. Its intimidation derived from the fact that they constantly name-dropped Connor’s name as they worried about his health. It was Connor they were worried about. It had always been Connor. Never Nines.

Then Simon gently touched his shoulder and seriously said, looking deep into his eyes to translate sincerity, “We think Nines is alive.”  
Instantly, his hands became sweaty, and he immediately stood up to end their physical contact. Stumbling, he moved away from the three, into the corner of the room, rubbing his arms. If they found him, they would find out his real identity. They already didn’t like him, he couldn’t imagine how they would act once they found out the truth.  
Then again, there was hope. His brother may be alive. Nines held his breath while squeezing his eyes shut. There was a battle of emotions igniting in his mind.

“Connor?” Simon called out as he approached him. “It’s okay. We didn’t initially want to raise your hopes to crash them, so we’re so sorry we kept this from you.”  
Chloe rushed to his side, “I already asked Gavin to only have temporary work and the last day is tomorrow. I can search for Nines while you stay here. It’s okay, we’ll find him.”  
“Chloe is going because she’s clever with this kind of stuff,” Josh tried to comfort Nines, “But Simon and I will stay here. We want you to be safe.”  
“Don’t worry.” Simon pulled Nines to a hug.   
It felt like the hug from the beach when they were stranded. Again, Nines was quick to react and tightly hugged him back. This wasn’t because he wanted to guise himself as Connor, it was because he thought this would be the last hug he would receive from them. “I feel like I wished to life,” Nines sobbed as he dug his head into Simon’s shoulder.  
Chloe hugged Nines despite the fact that he was already hugging Simon. “We wished for him, too.”  
Josh joined in. “We never thought Nines was dead. We wouldn’t accept it.”

Nines paused at the centre of the three. His grip on Simon loosened. Then it dawned on him. They cared. They cared so much about him. It seemed he spent so much time with his sight on Connor he failed to notice their love for Nines as well.  
“I love you all.” Nines brought all of them to a hug.  
The three smiled, but noticed something was a bit off. Connor had never said this to them.   
But rather than ruling his speech as suspicion, they just deemed it to be strange due to the overwhelming motions ‘Connor’ must have felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, this is as sad and angsty as the notes go, so from here I believe everything is going to be an uphill. Is that a spoiler? idk


	6. Connor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hank is a tsundere 100

To repay Hank and Markus for their caring nature, Connor stayed with them, doing chores. He had lost all his money after all. Although he promised if he could return back home, he would share his wealth with the two.

Connor was sweeping when Hank entered the dining room with a hot drink in a mug. He sat on a chair and began to read a newspaper which seemed to have lost all interest in regards to the shipwreck.

“Mr. Hank,” Connor initiated the conversation but was immediately cut off by Hank spitting his drink out in surprise from Connor’s formality. “Oh, I’ll get a tissue!”  
“No!” Hank quickly said, until lowering his volume and grabbing a tissue instead, “Connor, you’re leaning on your broomstick for balance right now. I don’t even think you should be cleaning…”  
“No, I’m perfectly fine.” Connor lifted his weight off of the broomstick to look steady on his two feet.  
Hank sighed as he gently pushed Connor, who fell down to the floor. Hank didn’t need to say anything- his point was made.  
“I’ve always been this clumsy and out of balance.”  
“Oh really?” Hank smirked.

“Stop bullying him, Hank.” Markus walked in and helped Connor up. “And call him Hank.”  
“Just Hank.” He confirmed as he sat down and continued drinking.  
Connor felt slightly uncomfortable. He was always told to be formal to those who were older than him. It was common courtesy. He guessed maybe that didn’t translate to other countries.

Markus snatched his broom away and kindly spoke, “You don’t need to repay us--”  
“For now.” Hank cut him off. “You’re unwell and I’m sure Markus would like it if you stayed in your bed.”  
Connor cleared his throat, “I would rather talk to you here. You seem to be like nice people, I would love to get to know you better.”  
Hank crossed his arms, “How come you were out in the sea?”

This made Connor freeze. He remembered the stormy night. They- Nines and Connor, were performing a show. It was to thank their guests for coming on board for their holiday. They were so happy and lively, chatting to Connor all day and night. The violin music drowned the lightning outside… until they were forced to notice them.  
“I lost him. I lost everyone.” Connor muttered, a tear falling down his cheek.  
Almost immediately, Hank stood up, “I take it back, you don’t need to tell us.”  
Connor wiped his tear and nodded before murmuring, “I’ll get to bed.”

More than anything Hank felt the heavy weight of guilt.


	7. Nines

It had been awkward days since the incident. Gavin always opened his mouth then closed it, his words ceasing to exist before he set them to be born. Nines felt guilty- he had never seen Gavin feel so out of place. When he first met him he was loud and ignorant. Now, he was completely different; it was as if the world had turned upside down.

It took two weeks until Gavin was able to talk to him properly. Excited, Nines couldn’t contain his smile. Gavin cared about Connor, which was the closest anyone could get to Nines, so despite the heartbreak of realising Gavin took a liking to Connor, Nines still felt a sense of comfort near the man. When Gavin liked someone, it was different to when a strange liked someone. With Gavin, there was meaning.

It seemed like a pattern for Nines that nothing would unfold the way he expected. Rather than talking like friends, Gavin approached him and handed him a letter to deliver to North. Nines couldn’t help but imagine the dump of romantic poetry that was in there. He cringed imagining how North would react.

As a loyal servant, he followed his orders and travelled to North’s home to give her the letter.

When he was let in, he realised sunlight was confident in her house; lighting every corner. When he was able to see North once more she wore brighter clothes with no trace of black to be found.  
“I see someone’s soul has been lifted,” Nines commented, smiling, “What caused your heightened happiness?”  
North temporarily avoided his eye contact before talking, “Well, I believe I’m in love.”  
“In love?” Nines echoed. Immediately he thought of Gavin. “That can’t be the reason why.”  
“Yes it is,” North pressed, “I am in love with you.” Her face turned neutral, “Connor, you were acting strange the other day. I’ve been worried about you. When I heard you were better, I felt my spirit had been awoken. That must be a sign!”  
She stepped forwards in which Nines reacted by stepping backwards to maintain their distance- he didn’t mean it in an intentionally negative way.  


North looked away, her eyes sad. “Connor, I was not treated well by those around me. I have been forced and played with. Nasty the men were.” She lifted her eyes to match his, “But you are kind, Connor. You show love. You radiate it.”  
Nines gave a fake smile. All that talk was directed at Connor, not him. How he behaved in front of him was merely a mask. They could never be in love. It was impossible.  


North saw discomfort in him. “Tell me,” She softly spoke, afraid she could frighten him, “What was your life like before you became Gavin’s servant?”  
Nines stared at him. There was no way he could tell her the truth. “I was born of a well-off family. Enough riches to feed the whole family. Then I travelled here.”  
“Do you have friends?” She tried to distract him from whatever he was thinking of previously, not knowing she was doing the opposite.  
“I have many. I was loved and adored by others as I am… Let’s say charming to say the least.” Nines tried to joke, resulting in North’s quiet giggle. Nines smiled at his accomplishment, but his smile soon washed away as he was reminded she was laughing at a behaviour Connor would show. Not Nines.

At last, he handed her Gavin’s letter and placed his hand above hers. “Forget about me.” He said, every word clear, “Think about Gavin: the one you truly know.”  
North didn’t understand what he meant. Instead, she lingered on his touch until he walked away.


End file.
